Broad Channel Bits

Christmas Events Abound In BC

Commentary By Liz Guarino

Today is the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 that propelled us into World War II. It was described as "a date which will live in infamy," in then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speech. There has never been clear proof of the claim that the U.S. was described by a Japanese admiral, at the time, as a "sleeping giant." At any rate, many lives were lost that day and a memorial to the lives lost on the USS Arizona was erected over the sunken ship.

The Children's Christmas Party will be held on Sunday, December 9 at 1 p.m., at the American Legion Hall on Cross Bay Boulevard, hosted by the American Legion Auxiliary of Post 1404. Infants and children (up to third grade) will enjoy a magician and a visit from Santa Claus.

A letter from Dan McIntyre, Chief of the BCVFD: "The Christmas Tree lighting will be held at 17 Road Park on Saturday, December 8, at 5:30 p.m. Rain date on Sunday, December 9. The BCVFD, in cooperation with the Civic Association, are seeking volunteers to help with decorating the tree in the morning hours on this date. Volunteers will meet at the park at 10 a.m. to decorate. If interested in helping, please contact the firehouse at 718- 474-6888 and leave contact information; we will get back to you.

The BCVFD will once again be helping Santa with early Broad Channel area deliveries. You may arrange for Santa to stop by your home on Christmas Eve by contacting the firehouse any evening at the non-emergency number. We will assist Santa until 11 p.m. When you call, please provide address, contact phone number and number of children Santa will be seeing. Due to Santa's busy schedule, we ask that you call for visits ASAP, so we can accommodate as many visiting times as possible. A donation of $25 is requested. Checks are preferred, but cash will be accepted by Santa's helpers.

The BCVFD is proud to announce our "junior" department is once again gaining membership. The current roster has been expanded by six new recruits. We are actively seeking members for the junior department. Boys from ages 12 through 17 and girls between 14 and 17 are welcome to join our ranks. Our programs are sanctioned by the Boy Scouts of America and Explorers Program. Many events are planned for our young members; we are currently arranging a trip to the FDNY Museum in Manhattan for later this month. We have a great place to learn about emergency services first hand; our juniors learn dispatch operations first hand and will learn all aspects of fire prevention. This is a great program; it gets the kids involved in productive activities and instills a sense of community.

The BCVFD is also actively seeking members for the senior department, as well. Minimum age is 18 years, no maximum. If you can answer a phone, you can help! We will provide training for any level you are comfortable with. We provide Free EMT classes if interested and, if you are up to it, we provide training in firefighting operations. If you are interested in helping your community and neighbors, please contact the firehouse any evening and we will deliver an application to you. We can't help our neighbors if YOU don't help. Ambulances, fire engines and firehouses are useless without PEOPLE to man them!"

This from the Broad Channel Pre-K: "The Broad Channel Pre-K would like to thank Donna and everyone at The BayGull Store for the generous donation to our Tanger Outlet Bus trip. Everyone enjoyed their breakfast very much. Your generosity was greatly appreciated."

The book that will come out next spring mentions a Mr. Minei. When the need arose to learn Minei's first name, I thought, "Someone out there knows what it was." So, last week, I asked if anyone knew the first name of the shoemaker, Mr. Minei, who shared space with the tailor (whose last name was Goetke) on Cross Bay Boulevard in the 1940s or thereabouts. I didn't have to wait long for a reply. (The following e-mail came last Friday night; the paper was available on Friday during the day.) Anyway, here it is: "If I remember correctly from about 50 years ago, I seem to recall the shoemaker's first name to be Mario. I remember when I was about seven years old, there was a shoemaker on Crossbay between 9th and 10th Roads. My friends and I would stand in the doorway and bother him till he came and chased us away. We would sing a crazy song about him to the theme of Choo-Choo Charlie, but we changed the lyrics to drive him crazy. I believe his name was Mario. I lived on West 9th Road at the time." The e-mail is signed: "Maggie Schmitt Falcone." Eureka! Thank you, Maggie! His store was between West 9 and West 10 Roads on the west side of the boulevard. Are there any other neighbors who remember Mr. Minei?

Many neighbors (some of them in other states) have asked for and read the article about Broad Channel from a few weeks ago in the real estate section of The New York Times. I'm interested to hear from people with their opinion of it.

Did you like it and why?

Or did you not like it? Why?

Did you like the photo they chose to represent the community?

Why or why not?

Every opinion counts!

I'll print the strongest or most original or funniest opinions (with or without names- your choice).

If you have news that belongs in this column, please get the information to me by 9:30 a.m. on the Tuesday before you need the item to appear in The Wave.

Please sign your e-mail or letter; like the rest of the newspaper, I cannot publish info that comes without a name.